The Village With No Roads

Giethoorn is one of the most unusual villages in Europe — there are no roads, no cars, no streets. Just canals, thatched-roof houses on their own little islands, and more than 170 small wooden bridges tying it all together. That's why it's known as the Venice of the North. I hadn't even planned to visit — I was just nearby and decided to go. Here's everything I wish I'd known before I got there, especially about where to actually rent a boat.

Where to Actually Rent a Boat

This is the one thing that will save you time. Not every boat rental in Giethoorn works the same way, and the first, busiest spot isn't always the easiest. Parking area P4, right next to 'Giethoorn Village', is often packed with people looking for a boat but with no clear rental desk — just a busy restaurant. The easier option is the next basin over, at parking area P5: ArendsHorst Buitenactiviteiten. They have a self-service kiosk — you book your boat on a screen in a minute or two, no queue, no confusion. Address: Beulakerweg 169b, 8355 AG Giethoorn. The free parking for this spot (P5) is at Zuiderpad 32, 8355 CC Giethoorn — about 100 free spaces, right next to the dock.

Prices & Hours

An electric boat runs around €30 per hour, plus a refundable deposit of about €50 (returned when you bring the boat back). Staff give you a cushion and show you the controls before you go — no boating license needed. The self-service kiosk is open from sunrise until about an hour before sunset, and some rentals stay open until around 9:00 PM in summer — later than most people expect. Don't rent for less than 2 hours in high season: with this much traffic on the water, you'll need it just to get out onto the lake and back.

The Canal Routes

Boat rentals hand you a route map when you set off, with a few options depending on how long you want to be out on the water. The routes are usually color-coded by length: a yellow route of about 7 km (roughly 2 hours) through the village center and across the main lake ('Het Bovenwijde'), a green route of about 12 km (roughly 3 hours) that also loops through Giethoorn-Noord and a second lake ('Het Molengat'), and a red route of about 14 km (roughly 4 hours) further into the Weerribben-Wieden nature reserve.

Ask for the map at check-in — every rental company hands out their own version, and it's the easiest way to actually find your way around without getting lost (we didn't take it, and ended up on the wrong lake for a while). The map above is the official waterways map from Tourist Information Giethoorn — click to zoom in, or view the original PDF.

On the Water

The electric motors are almost silent, but steering takes some getting used to — expect a wobbly first few minutes. In peak season, especially on a Sunday evening, the main canal can turn into a gentle traffic jam of little boats nose to tail, bumping softly into each other. Don't worry: the boats are metal with soft rubber edges, so it's harmless, and everyone treats it as part of the fun rather than a problem. Past the busy stretch, the canal opens onto a big lake with room to breathe, small islands, and usually someone selling ice cream from a boat.

The Best Time to Come

Go on a weekday if you can, not a Sunday. And go late — the last hour before closing, once most visitors have returned their boats, is when the village empties out and turns quiet and golden. The canals go still, only a few lone boats drift home, and the wooden bridges are finally yours. That quiet hour is the version of Giethoorn from the postcards. It's worth staying for.

Beyond the Boat

Once you're back on foot, the footpaths along the water are worth the walk in their own right — private mini-docks, gardens full of flowers, a few small cafés, and souvenir shops selling local crafts. There's also a small village museum (check opening hours before you go, as it closes earlier than the boat rentals). Every house here has its own dock and small boat instead of a driveway and a car — for residents, the water genuinely is the street.

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